Cosmic dust on Earth reveals the life cycle of stars
Sachiko Amari, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis In space, there are clouds that contain gas and dust ejected from stars. Our solar system was formed 4.6 billion years ago…
Shape-shifting robot: Future of Space Exploration
Engineers at North Carolina State University have unveiled a new generation of shape-shifting robots that could transform the fields of space exploration and disaster relief. Taking inspiration from the ancient Japanese art of…
Scientists pin down the origins of the moon’s atmosphere
Jennifer Chu | MIT News While the moon lacks any breathable air, it does host a barely-there atmosphere. Since the 1980s, astronomers have observed a very thin layer of atoms bouncing over the moon’s surface….
What makes a planet habitable?
Vigneshwaran Krishnamurthy, McGill University and Hiroyuki Tako Ishikawa, Western University In an exciting breakthrough for astronomy and the search for extraterrestrial life, a team of international scientists has announced the discovery of Gliese…
Genome Editing: Key to Colonizing Other Worlds?
Sam McKee, Manchester Metropolitan University When considering human settlements on the Moon, Mars and further afield, much attention is given to the travel times, food and radiation risk. We’ll undoubtedly face a harsh…
Rock on Mars may contain evidence of ancient microbial life
NASA’s Perseverance rover has found an intriguing rock that may contain evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars. This rock, called “Cheyava Falls”, has attracted the attention of the scientific team due to…
Lunar caves and the shared origins of the Earth and the Moon
Robin Smith, Sheffield Hallam University Using radar, a Nasa spacecraft, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), has confirmed the existence of caves beneath the lunar surface. Here’s why such geological features will be key for…
Field Emission Electric Propulsion: Mass Production Initiates
German company Morpheus Space has inaugurated the world’s first facility for the mass production of its second-generation field emission electric propulsion (FEEP) system, the GO-2. Located in Dresden and called “Reloaded”, the new…
11-mile thick diamond layer on Mercury
The planet Mercury, known for its dull gray surface due to its excess of carbon, may hide a brilliant surprise in its depths. Recent research suggests the existence of a layer of diamonds…
Syntrichia caninervis: Could this moss help terraform Mars?
Mosses, small and apparently simple, are considered to be the Earth’s great terraformers. They have the ability to transform barren rock into fertile soil, playing a crucial role in creating habitats that allow…